Malaysian general election, 2013
The parliamentary elections in Malaysia (English Malaysian General Election ) took place on May 5, 2013. They included the elections for the People's Assembly ( Dewan Rakyat ), the Parliament of Malaysia as well as the elections to the national parliaments in 12 of 13 states.
The Constitution of Malaysia provides for a term of five years. Then the Yang di - Pertuan Parliament of Agong must be resolved on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The elections will be held as a simple majority vote under the supervision of the Malaysian Election Commission.
Despite significant loss of votes, the coalition government of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was the winner of the parliamentary elections. It reached 133 of 222 parliamentary seats and is equipped with 59.91 % of the seats thus in possession of an absolute majority, but misses so that the two-thirds majority.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Rayak announced on May 16, 2013, the composition of the new cabinet announced.
- 6.1 new features
- 6.2 Election Observers
Dissolution of Parliament
The dissolution of Parliament took place on April 3, 2013 by the Malaysian monarch on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun Razak. On the same day at 11:30 clock, the Prime Minister announced in a televised address the resolution of the 12th Malaysian Parliament. According to the Constitution had to take place within 60 days, ie between April 3 and June 2, 2013 elections.
Dissolution of the state legislatures
In addition to the resolution of the Malaysian Parliament and the resolution of the national parliaments ( Dewan Negeri Undangan ) is regulated by the Malaysian Constitution. If the resolution does not take place at an earlier date by the respective Head of State on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of the State, the resolution automatically take place five years after the first session. New elections are to be held also within 60 days after the date of the resolution.
The table shows, on which date the legislatures of the respective states were resolved:
The state parliament of Sarawak did not dissolve, as the last elections had taken place in 2011 and the legislature for Sarawak only ends in 2016. In Sarawak, only the elections to the Malaysian Parliament were held on May 5, 2013 Unlike the other states.
Setting the election date
The Malaysian Election Commission ( Election Commission of Malaysia ) announced on April 10, 2013, that the nomination of candidates for election will be held on April 20 and was that set as the election date May 5, 2013. Early voting (early voting ) was available from 30 April. The official campaign began on April 20 and lasted 15 days. Voters Malaysians abroad were able to vote on April 28 by absentee ballot in their official representatives. The embassies and consulates opened for this purpose nine clock in the morning to 6 clock in the evening. In London and Melbourne, the country representatives of Malaysia were open even to 8 clock in the evening, as there are registered more than 1,000 voters letter.
Voters
The voters list comprised 12,992,661 eligible voters and other 275 341 eligible voters for early voting (early voting). The early voting was concerned 161 251 members of the military and their wives, 111 136 people in the police forces and their wives as well as 2,954 voters living abroad.
Electioneering
Background
The strengthened opposition in Malaysia is expected for the parliamentary elections a good chance of effecting a change of government for the first time in the history of Malaysia. The since independence ( August 31, 1957 continuously ruling coalition Barisan Nasional suffered dramatic loss of votes already in the last election in 2008 and lost for the first time the two-thirds majority. Although the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat was defeated in the elections at the federal level with 46.75 % almost the coalition government (BN 50.27 %). . however, but it could take over the government in five of the thirteen states after the defection of some Members, it was towards the end of the legislative period, four States by a majority vote retained the BN in parliament, a clear majority of 140 of the 222 seats.
Parties
To the 222 seats in parliament who applied several parties. In the struggle for majority government thereby the coalition party ruling Barisan Nasional estates of the opposition parties and the Alliance Pakatan Rakyat were compared. On April 20, 2013, the date of nomination, who applied a total of 579 candidates for the 222 parliamentary seats.
For the 505 seats in the national parliaments who applied a total of 1322 candidates.
The candidates for the seats in parliament and the state parliaments came from the following parties or coalitions:
Electoral management
Presented for the conduct of the elections for the 13th Malaysian Parliament and the state legislatures, the election commission 400 million ringgit available. 234 905 election workers supervised 8,789 polling centers with 26 219 polling stations. 544 polling stations with 882 polling stations were there provided exclusively for early voting.
Innovations
- Before the vote, the left forefinger of the voter is marked by non- washable paint.
- Members of the military and the police can take a early voting.
- Disabled are allowed to take a person of their confidence in the voting booth.
- Nominations for election can be neither withdrawn nor challenged.
Election observers
To ensure the democratic conduct of elections, international and national election observers were allowed for the elections. As local election observers total of 16 non-governmental organizations have been designated.
Election results
The turnout was relatively high at 84.6 %. As election results, the election commission released the following numbers: